Almost five years ago, the concept of a small form factor (SFF) computer was simply unheard of in the industry, with niche manufacturers like Alienware concentrating on taller and bigger custom tower cases bulging with drive bays and expansion slots, which was a fair reflection of the state of the enthusiast market then. Bigger was always better, that is until Shuttle unveiled their first SFF - the SV24. It was the start of a backlash against those noisy, hot rigs assembled by enthusiasts. Following the trend of digital media convergence, people now wanted small and quiet computers that could blend into the living room and Shuttle was there to provide with their SFF offerings that eventually carved out its own niche market.

Of course, where Shuttle used to monopolize the whole market, they now face fierce competition from a growing number of vendors who have belatedly recognized the market potential. Shuttle has responded to the challenge with this answer: innovation. Their broad range of SFF computers and variety of chassis that attempts to merge form and function in an elegant and small package best exemplify this quest to improve. Today, we have one of their newer chassis, the P series, as represented by the Shuttle XPC SB81P. Although, the Intel 915G-based SB81P was launched last year, it is still worth taking a look at a chassis that is now increasingly being used in a number of newer Shuttle SFF models.

Our tiny bundle of joy.

Before we proceed to the review proper, here is what you will find in the Shuttle SB81P box: